Biography of James H. Pierson

James H. Pierson, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Oakland; born in Warren Co., Ohio, April 6, 1847, where he engaged in farming until Feb. 15, 1863, when, at the age of 15 years, he enlisted as private in Co. A, 12th Ohio V. I., and went forward to battle for the Union; he was in many hard-fought battles, among which were South Mountain, Antietam, 2d Bull Run, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Lynchburg and was with the 16th Army Corps under Gen, Hunter in front of Richmond; at the battle of Winchester, he was wounded and sent to the hospital for two months; at the battle of South Mountain a ball passed through his blouse; at the battle of Lynchburg, a shot struck and carried away his canteen; while scaling a stone wall upon the retreat of the Union army at the battle of Winchester, a solid shot struck the wall beneath him, which demolished the wall, broke the stock of his gun into atoms, and stunned and bruised him badly by the falling stones; a companion seeing this incident and supposing him killed, so reported to his folks, under which impression they labored until his return at the close of the war; he was mustered out of service with his regiment in August, 1865, at Cleveland, Ohio. After remaining in Ohio a short time he emigrated to Edgar Co., Ill., where he arrived with a capital of 75 cents; he immediately commenced work in a saw-mill at $1.25 per day, which business he followed fur several years; he removed upon his present place in 1870, where he owns 160 acres of land under cultivation; 116 head of cattle, upward of 100 hogs, 120 head of sheep, and 18 head of horses and mules, which he has accumulated by hard labor, energy and industry, being nobly assisted by the aid of his wife, to whom he was married May 18, 1870; her maiden name was Susan S. Brodie; she was born in Arena, Wis., Jan. 6, 1848; they have four children now living by this union, viz., Ollie M., Flora B., Jackson and William S.; at the time of his marriage, he had neither money to procure the license nor defray the expense of the ceremony, the same being advanced by his employer, Mr. R. F. Larimer, prominent merchant of Oakland, who has nobly rendered him assistance at different times, and of whom he speaks in terms of the highest praise.